Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-07-09
THE SPEAKING LAST MONDAY

THE SPEAKING LAST MONDAY.
DIR. d. G. Kelley, of Nashville, adj
dressed a large crowd in the park last
Monday afternoon on the subject of
prohibition. He spoke for about an
hour and a half, and those who heard
him pronounced his effort an able and
generous argument of the question.
At the conclusion of DIR. Kelley's
address, Mr.. VIM. II. Murray, of this
place, in response to loud calls, took
the stand and spoke for about two
hours in opposition to the proposed
amendment. This was the first anti
prohibition speech which has been
made here, and as such, as well as for
the peculiar character of the effort, it
calls for more than a passing notice.
Mr.. Murray made a very wild break
in the very beginning of his speech,
by referring to DR.. Kelley in a con-
temptuous and sneering tone as "a
little man, and a little Methodist
preacher" This remark was about
on a par with MI. Sparks contempt
BILE little card in reference to Mr..
Bailey. 1t is well known that DR..
Kelley is one of the most prominent
ministers in the Methodist church,
and in the grand work of hat church
his name is familiar not only in Ten
nessee, not only in the United States,
but in many foreign lands as well.
There is very slight probability of Mr..
Murray ever achieving comparative
honors, in either of his chosen walks
of life-law or politics.
Mr.. Murray also surprised his audi
ence very much by discarding the le-
gal and constitutional aspect of the
question, and launching out into a
semi-scriptural discussion of it, at
tempting to prove from his profound
knowledge of the Bible hat prohibi-
ton is contrary to the laws of God
and to all scriptural teaching. He
argued that whisky was put into the
world by the divine will and purpose
of God to try men asa means of de.
termining which are fit for heaven
and which for hell. His disclaimer
of all sympathy for whisky and his
strong Characterization of its baleful
effects, were strangely inconsistent
with his Ingersollian eulogy of the
article and its Cody mission.
Mr.. Murray virtually admitted
that there is no legal or constitutions.
barrier against prohibition, save pos
sibly in the matter of compensation
This absolutely took all the wind ou'
of his sails, and reduced his argument
to a pure and simple plea for whisky
for whisky's sake, for no speaker OF
earth can successfully sustain thu
point which Mr.. Murray attempted
to make, that morality, religion anC
Christianity are in favor Of whisk!
and opposed to prohibition.
He worked the "don't prohibit
racket for all it is worth, which is
very ininitesimal quantity. 1t is
very significant fact that whereve
prohibition has gotten a foOthOld i
has never been shaken from its posi-
ton. lift is a failure, why is il new
err relinquished? "Revolutions new
-, er go backward"
Mr.. Murray's criticism of Mr.. Fus
SELLS figures would have been a yer,
f well taken point had he not destroy
ed its force by a reckless overshoot
ing of the mark in his own figuring
in favor of whisky. We admit tn
, justice ofhis criticism of the discus
: sion of the question in its legal an,
political aspects on the sabbath, bu
r he again destroyed the effectiveness
of his argument on this point by at
tempting 10 cast odium upon tn
church and upon Christians for tn
, mistakes which the zeal of some ad
vocates Of prohibition has led ther
into.
Now that Mr.. Murray has opene
the "bawl' in opposition to prohib:
ton, we hope he will show the sir
: certify of his convictions by meetin
other speakers on the stump, not ur
t announced as upon this occasion, bu
with full understanding and agree
l ment upon time and rules of debate
Col. j. II. Holman has agreed
make three or four speeches in Wa
5 rem county on prohibition sometim
this month, and the prohibition con
: mittee will cheerfully agree to a d.
; vision of time with Mr.. Murray.
t We fully believe that the stand Nj
- I Il - RNan Vw 10. IL